The University of Bolton Soars in Uni Guide Rankings, while demonstrating its diversity and inclusivity credentials

With the 2024 Guardian University Guide placing the University of Bolton in 30th place questions are being raised on the unchallenged idea that those in a higher socioeconomic bracket, typically private school students are pivotal to the success of universities.

 With national policy heavily geared towards levelling up, social inclusivity promises to be a major factor in creating a more equitable society.

And increasingly public debate is centred on how many private school students are taking up sought after places at some of the top British institutions; a recent report from The Tab highlights the fact that a whopping 15 unis are made up of 20% or more students from fee-paying schools.

This is a divide that emergent universities, such as The University of Bolton, are attempting to flip the script on. As one of the most socially inclusive universities in Britain — in 2021, successful admissions were 95% from non-selective state schools and 60% first-in-family higher education students — the aim is to level up from the grassroots.

The university says more than two in 10 of its students come from some of the country’s most deprived areas, yet despite lacking the £220m endowment fund enjoyed by its neighbour University of Manchester 15 miles down the road, Bolton is remarkably and consistently improving its offering faster than other institutions in the region.

Case in point: as well as being ranked a top 30 university by The Guardian, it’s rising in the new Sunday Times Good University Guide with an 18 place improvement on last year.

In specific categories, the Sunday Times put Bolton at 12th in the UK for teaching quality, 15th for student experience and 10th for social inclusion — all higher than any other university in North-West England.